If You're Not the One YuGiOh Matrix crossing
by Shadow Sanctuary
Summary: When you're staring into the barrels of countless agents' guns, what maneuver could you possibly pull to save yourself? Only Neo himself could get himself out of that kind of situation...so does this mean Seto doesn't even stand a chance? yaoi/lang.
1. Prelude to the One

Prelude: "The One"

Silver mists billowed out into the vacant night, the only decoration of the witching hour. It was a sort of ethereal smoke that enveloped the sky, streaking throughout the realms of eternity with a dancer's grace. The metallic-looking air, resembling out-stretched arms, descended upon the landscape below its immaterial world. As if they were human limbs, the dense fog reached down into the city, exploring the depths of the familiar territory. Its graying fingertips ran over the dimly lit streets, desperately searching for the answers they sought. After all, the weight of a crumbling empire rested on its shoulders. And that nation needed far more than an adequate explanation as to why their universe was collapsing into chaos. Everything would come in due time, because there was one means of salvation left, a way to end the destruction, and the birth of a better life to look forward to. Only a single individual could accomplish such a daring revolution, since he had achieved such a task before. That person had defied gravity, bending perspective to retrieve the truth of not only his existence, but for all of his kind. To machines, he was a virus of a mortal that infected earth by damaging its natural resources. For others, he was their deliverance from control, revered for his ability to transcend reality in the respect of mind versus matter. Still, this marvelous male was only human…

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You've had your time…now it's time for us.

They were wrong to say that, to even think that complete and total domination was possible for them. Computers can never be as intelligent as their programmers…can they? Is it realistic to say that software can somehow out-maneuver its creator? Not until wired circuit boards are able to exist on their own without anyone developing them. Isn't a device as smart as the one operating its systems? Can someone even determine a universal definition for what brilliance actually is? 

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Remember, it's all in your head…

Twisting around subdivisions, the ghostly haze floated among dormant yard toys and resting vehicles. It had to find him, the civilian who had once been set free himself, the anomaly of the hard drive who possesses the faculty to save them all. There was no other like him, and only he could accept the cause and effect of taking part in such a surprising turn of events.

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Is he "The One…?"

Fear, wonder, and indecisiveness are always the lethal killers of hopes, dreams, and faith. Even more detrimental to any prayers for escaping mainframe slavery is the element of doubt. That solitary emotion is capable of giving technology supreme authority over citizens across the globe. If he doesn't believe in himself, then he will let the rest of civilization fall victim to their own personal computers, and that includes himself as well…

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Know thyself.

All of his memories were conveniently erased by the architect, the person who was more interested in designing Utopia than anything else. He may not remember that he had once entered a plane of living where he helped humans to escape from being a food source for CPU's. He may not recall that he allowed societies to begin a new era where they could think and act by themselves. And he very well may not be willing to involve himself in the whole battle of mechanisms sparring against people again. Whatever his present state was made no difference to the cloudy formation slipping above the sleeping houses. Time was evaporating into seconds, and every moment that went by counted even more now than ever before…

Halting in front of a two story home, the snowy smog regarded the dwelling in a knowing manner. It knew he was there, the male with many secrets, the individual who was a mystery to everyone surrounding him, including himself. Crossing the shadowy lawn, the smoky substance found an open window and let itself in.

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I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how it is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin…

Coolly, the shimmering mists scoped out the insides of the residence. It had already found its way into the bedroom, watching, feeling through the darkness to happen upon the one who was so highly desired. Winking in the gloom was a group of photographs, most of them recently taken in the last few days or week. The silvery fog analyzed the pictures of the people that were in them, slightly distracting itself from its dire purpose. One specific snapshot displayed a boy in his early teens, showing off a supermodel smile while fingering a lock of his white hair. Playful flecks of sunlight accented his brown eyes, adding an aura of innocence to his child-like exterior. Casually, the light-skinned adolescent had his arm draped around another teenager's waist, an affectionate gesture that suggested that the two males were obviously more than just good friends. Leaning up against the snowy-haired person, the other young adult--

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The Oracle told me that I would find you…

The second adolescent was him, the individual who had solved all the encrypted codes, the male that could stop bullets from ever reaching him with a minor flick of his wrist. "The One," as everyone came to know him as…

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It seems every time we meet, I have bad news for you…

Drifting over marble tiles, the spiritual spray approached the bed at the far end of the chamber. Majestically dressed in the finest layers of red silk, the mattress contained two youngsters sound asleep. With his chest rising and falling in gentle breaths, the teen with white-gray tresses had pulled the exquisite sheets up to his neck. Gold trim brushed the delicate curves of his face, bestowing upon him an angelic glow. Tapered fingertips of his were twined with that of his lover's, the bond of resilient romance quite noticeable and touching. Dozing to the right of the pale adolescent was another teen, huddled up in a fetal position. Shining strands of auburn hair flowed onto his pillow, lightly grazing the comforter. His body, sleek and lean in the moonlight, was partially covered by the crimson blankets. Drawing closer to the perfect portrait of passion, the silver mists concentrated on the task at hand. Silently slumbering, the adolescents appeared to be in absolute harmony together. Even their breathing was synchronized, the precious couple inhaled and exhaled at the same precise moment. It was clear that they shared a love for each other that broke all boundaries and blew away every stereotype invented. Sadly enough, their blissful existence was about to change…

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The Oracle told me that I would fall in love with "The One…"

Gliding to the side of the dark-haired boy, the cloudy substance observed the tender scene. The male with white tresses would be most unhappy to wake and find his boyfriend's space unoccupied in the morning, but that was a small sacrifice that had to be made. And the young adult curled up in a ball…that was definitely him, the one who the roving gray fog was looking for, the truth in an ocean of imaginative lies. 

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Buckle your seat belt, Dorothy, 'cause Kansas is going bye-bye.

Gathering itself into a condensed form, the mystical air permitted the auburn-haired male to draw itself in to him, generating a path of communication in the dreaming child's mind.

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	2. Cryptic Coding

Chapter Two: Cryptic Coding

_Rise and shine, __Alice__…_

Lengthy onyx lashes fluttered, still engrossed in their deep REM snooze.

_Don't you want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes?_

"Uhnn…" moaned the brown-haired adolescent, completely unaware of his current location. "Baku-chan, I swear I won't be late for work again today…I set my alarm an hour in advance this time."

_Time to meet the Queen of Hearts, __Chosen__ One…._

Vexed by the toneless voice speaking to him, the wealthy executive gritted his teeth. Sleep was such a precious commodity to him these days, for he barely ever got to remain in a relaxed position for long. There were so many places to go, numerous people to see, trips to take, and meetings to attend. After enduring the daily grind of nine to five shifts (seven days a week, of course), he gave the remainder of his time to his one and only. Sweet, supportive Ryou stopped pursuing his profession years ago just so that he could watch his boyfriend succeed. Being a permanent domestic engineer (otherwise known as housewife) for his husband, the white-haired male proved to be a priceless addition to the estate. The compassionate nature he possessed was the secret to his lover's triumphs in the office, but no one else besides them knew that. In all honesty, the dark-haired boy probably would have been fired by now for perpetual tardiness. Faithfully, his light-skinned boyfriend rose every morning before daybreak to drag the weary CEO out of their bedroom. Finally making good on his promise to be more responsible, the technology master vowed to get himself up and ready the following day. But this wasn't any ordinary 24-hour segment where he would commence throwing on a wrinkled suit while shoving a microwave entrée into his mouth. If it was time to get up already, then why didn't the alarm go off? Did he accidentally hit the snooze button? If that was true, then why didn't Ryou prod him into a movable state?

_Follow the white rabbit, Neo…_

A strange shockwave streaked through the adolescent's body, forcing his eyes to snap open. Tempestuous sapphire orbs stared straight ahead, jolted awake by the name uttered. 

_/That name…/ _thought Seto, struggling to understand the significance behind the identity. _/Why? Why do I all of a sudden feel so attached to it…? There's something about it that makes me feel close to it, so completely _drawn _to it…/ _

_There's something about him, isn't there?_

Probing even the darkest corners of his mind, the blue-eyed boy couldn't bring himself to understand the uneasy feeling he had. That agonizing sensation tore at his nerves, clawing at all the pressure points on his thin frame. He had the most awkward notion that the name was meaningful, since it was a title that should have done more than strike a chord in him. 

_/Where does it come from? / _he asked himself, rubbing the sleep from his visage. Opening his mouth wide, an exhausted yawn escaped his throat. _/It's like I know it, it's right on the tip of my tongue, and then it's gone…/_

_You're here because you know something. What you know, you can't explain, but you feel it…_

Taking a weary limb, the cobalt-eyed male pressed down on his shoulder. Idly massaging the knotted flesh, he let his head droop down. Yesterday, one of his co-workers didn't show up for their shift, so he ended up filing papers and programming software until four in the morning. Sure, he could have just gone home when his own scheduled time was over, but that would have been at the cost of his job. One more mistake, just one single wrong move, and his manager would have him thrown out of his cubicle. Of course, the boss man was waiting for the brown-haired worker to screw up, so Seto's days as a staff member was numbered. If it weren't for Ryou's sake of trying to give him everything he always dreamed of, then the blue-eyed boy would have told his supervisor to take every goddamned PC in the building and cram it up his ass. That's all he wanted to see: his administrator be so backed up with hardware that he'd be shitting computer chips from now until the hour he drew his last god forsaken breath. 

_You have a problem with authority, Mr. Anderson…you believe that you are special._

_/Ah, well…we can't have everything we want in life now, can we? / _mused Kaiba, working the kinks out of his neck. Turning his head side to side, he heard the fine structure of his frame crack. A wonderful sensation of pain and pleasure coursed through his veins, giving him a temporary feeling of relief. _/Damn, I hope my koi knows how much I put my ass on the line for him. I mean, I love him like no other, but the stress is killing me…downright fucking _murdering _me…/ _Remaining perpendicular to the ground, he arched his back. Literally throbbing against his bones, the muscles on his back felt as if they had been dragged through a meat grinder once or twice. An expression of terrible pain weighed his features down, making the young man look years older than he really was. _/Damn, sometimes I just think the whole world is out to get me…/_

_Wake up…_

_The Matrix has you…_

Halting his self-pitying thoughts, the cobalt-eyed male bunched his brow together. _/That voice…I've heard it before…but from where? Where? Where did I hear it last? / _As a storm cloud of endless questions swirled around him, he cocked his head to the side. _/I thought it stopped haunting me years ago, but here it is, tormenting me again…/ _Glancing down at his hand, he noticed a bit of dry skin hanging from a cuticle. He uprooted the dead flesh by pinching it with a thumb and forefinger, breaking it away from his handsomely built limb. 

"Huh, I never realized how closely related to snakes humans truly are." commented the adolescent with dark tresses, analyzing the tissue he just shed. "People get rid of old skin much like the serpents do. A cobra will give up his outer layer due to physical matters, but a person engages in the same act in a more metaphoric sense. Our minds resemble this on-going process, where they discard past emotions and philosophies to make room for more new and improved principles. We go throughout this whole procedure over and over again, hoping that the experiences we've encountered has made us a little more intelligent as we stumble from one obstacle course to another. And what is everyone trying to obtain when they feel themselves slipping away from this world?" Looking at the piece of torn flesh with a jaded grin, he tossed it aside. "Some sort of personal enlightenment to see them through to the next stage of their existence? What if there is no god? What if there's nothing left after this? What happens when the final door of your life shuts, and there's no one there to open it again?"

_Knock, knock, Neo…_

Listening to the whispers in the wind, Seto narrowed his eyes. Raising his head for the first time since he entered this enigmatic realm, he squinted in the darkness. Black night clouds spun eerily around him, the masses of gray mists sheltering him in dreary wrath. He knew this place, this world between worlds, this seemingly barren landscape that unearthed deceptions of what was thought to be well-known certainties. And still this location was much like Area 51 to him, somewhere so mysterious that it would take aliens themselves to decipher his true purpose here.

_I know why you're here, Neo…_

Pulling in a long, shallow breath, the slender adolescent called out, "Whose there?"

_I've spent my whole life looking for you…_

"Hello?" he persisted to yell into the star-studded blackness, his voice echoing off of unseen barriers. "Is anyone there?"

_You've been living in a dream world…_

Confused and frustrated with the tone without a body, the dark-haired teen shouted, "Answer me, damnit! Who the hell are you?!"

_Remember, all I'm offering you is the truth…_

"Show yourself!" demanded Kaiba, literally on his last nerve. He gritted his teeth in anxiety, clenching his hands in balled up fists. "Only a complete coward would keep hiding themselves from me! You either give me a legitimate reason to keep listening to you or you can just leave me the fuck alone!"

_It's all around you…when you pay your taxes…when you turn on your T.V…_

"What is? What the hell are you talking about?"

_The Matrix…it has you…_

Angered to an awful extreme, the executive felt rage consuming him. He gripped the insides of his palm so hard that bright crimson fluid dripped from the corners of his hands. Glaring defiantly into the gloom, Seto nearly screamed his next phrases.

"You know, I don't have time for this!" he ranted, his canine teeth bared and ready to attack whatever decided to emerge from the shadows. "I have co-workers that don't respect me, some dumb ass of a supervisor who probably hates me enough to want me dead, and some over-priced mansion that I'm going to be paying mortgage on until the day I die! To top it all off, I have someone I love and care for very much that's depending on me to help him survive, and I'm about to get fired from my job! So, if you don't mind," he growled, daring the speaker of the shade to show themselves, "I'd like out of this fucked up Nine Inch Nails dream sequence pronto!"

_Once you're in, there's no turning back…_

"Yeah, well we'll just see about that!" the blue-eyed male roared back, positioning his hands on his legs to give him a boost up. Grasping the satin attire he had on, the teen with brown tresses began to hoist himself from his present spot. "I'm sick and tired of idiots telling me what I can and can't be doing! All day long, some tight-assed loser is continuously coming up with reasons why I'm less of an individual than they are! Well, I won't have it anymore! If I say I want out, I want out, and that's--"

A green light flashed before his eyes, cutting his destructive raving short. He tried to focus on the faint emerald glow, but it vanished just as quickly as he caught sight of it. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head soundly, a desperate attempt to keep his own sanity in check. Something was calling him, watching him, listening to his every move and hanging on his every word. Whatever it was, it wasn't very far away. Wherever it was, it was all around him, in every direction, and viewing him from every possible angle. Seto didn't know what was waiting for him, strangely alternating between talking to him and breathing on him, but he knew this much was true: whatever was out there wouldn't be going away any time soon. He was the one it was after, the coveted hero that would give all of humanity their lives back. Most importantly, he would not only disprove all theories of predestination, but, in the same shot, would provide evidence of genuine and eternal romance.

_We don't have time, Neo…_

"Time? Time for what?" asked the office worker, his expression incredulous. "The only thing I have time for right now is finding my way out of this demented hell! Let me out! Let me out of here! _Now_!"

_Please, Neo…you have to trust me. _

Kaiba moved his head back and forth rebelliously; a look of cold determination began to dominate his features. "No, I don't have to do anything you say! I don't have to listen to this or even be here! Leave me alone, you bastard! _Leave me alone! _"

_You've been down there, Neo…_

Turning himself around, he peered into the gray mists that twined itself with the night filled sky. There were no streets, no vehicles, no dimly lit houses or even any stray animals to see for miles. All that lingered about him was a silver fog accompanied by an infinite blanket of black. No matter where he moved or where he stepped, he found himself totally engulfed in an isolated vortex. Staring into the vastness of space, he stood frozen in his tracks. Save for some periodic flickers of emerald beams, he saw nothing, not even a slight sight of life.

_You know that road…_

Licking his lips uneasily, the thin teen said in a shaky tone, "I don't know what you're talking about. I have no idea what you're getting at, so take that as a cue to stop bothering me."

_You know exactly where it ends…_

Disregarding the statements spoken to him, the blue-eyed boy held his head in his hands. _/It's just a dream…/ _he told himself, heaving in another mouthful of air. _/I know it's just a dream. When I wake up, everything will be fine. Ryou will be with me and I'll be just fine. /_

He didn't know how to exit this nightmare successfully, but that didn't matter to him. He'd find a path out, shake this crazy imagery from his head, and retrieve security and protection from his koi. Walking out into the shadows, the fair-skinned adolescent attempted to navigate the heavy fog.

_/I've gotta get outta here. / _he muttered quietly to himself, the darkness hanging over his frame like an empty hell. _/There's no way I'm staying here--/_

While struggling through the icy blackness, his hand brushed past something material. Biting on his lower lip, the brown-haired male paused in mid-stride. Sapphire orbs strained themselves to see what the object was, but they were unable to view a thing. He was smack in the middle of an illusion, some sort of wild void that had unknown dimensions to it. Frowning, Seto slowly lowered his hands from his temples. If there wasn't an object to be seen for days, then what was it that he touched?

_I know that's not where you want to be…_

Swallowing a large lump down his throat, Kaiba kept his eyes plastered in front of himself. Without thinking twice, he lifted a hand, calmly bringing it to eye level. Curiously unafraid, he extended his arm, the palm facing away from himself. Fingertips stroked the curves of something hidden, warm, and oddly tangible. Drawing his eyebrows down, the cobalt-eyed teen observed as the distance he touched evolved into a shiny green background.

"What--" he stuttered as millions of jade-colored graphics began to spread out beneath his fingers. "What is all of this?"

_It seems as if you have been living two lives…_

All around him now, brilliant streams of lime tinted numerals flooded his vision while illuminating the gloom that had surrounded him before. The ocean of cryptic coding poured across the darkness, fluttering into the atmosphere like feathers in the wind. Gaping wide-eyed at the shiny spectacle, the executive tried to make sense of what was occurring.

"The columns…" he whispered, amazed and dubious at the same time, "this is all a bunch of codes and passwords. Why am I seeing this? Why should I look at it?"

_One of these lives has a future, and one does not…_

Suddenly, the torrents of characters and numbers began to change, molding themselves into shapes that were at least the same height as Seto. Numerical figures warped themselves into bodies, frames of living, breathing creatures. Taking a step back, Kaiba viewed a scene concerning the horrors of cloning. Little by little, the choppy letters and symbols disappeared, leaving full-length bodies in their place. 

"They--they're all--humans." the dark-haired adolescent breathed, backing up another pace or two. "Humans with all the same features, with identical clothes--"

They all stood in front of him now, an army of neatly dressed men in dark shades and lawyer style suits. Every single one of them stood with their arms to their sides, watching the executive with intense interest. No matter how docile they appeared to be, the dark-haired boy found that they gave his flesh goose bumps. Perhaps the most frightening aspect about these professional-looking men was their features, the blank, emotionless faces they wore. Without smiling, they stared at Seto, their nearly black orbs evaluating his every mark, attribute, accent and characteristic. Even with their sunglasses on, their penetrating gazes made Kaiba feel as if he were stripped nude and thrown onto a foreign operating table.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all."

_The time has come for you to make a choice, Mr. Anderson…_

In one smooth movement, the cloned males reached inside their jacket pockets and withdrew their firearms. The cobalt-eyed teen's heart rate increased as he saw the indistinguishable men elevate their weapons to eye level. Gazing into the barrels of the guns, the boy with dark tresses silently dragged oxygen into his lungs. 

_/I might be forced to breathe my last breath here…/ _Seto realized, looking at the hordes of agents coolly. _/I could die here tonight. /_

_They're coming for you, Neo, and I don't know what they're going to do…_

Without warning, they opened fire on the executive, spraying a numerous amount of bullets at him. Instinctively, he raised an open palm towards the sea of ammunition, for reasons he wasn't quite sure of himself. Within moments, he would be a bloody carcass, lying face first on the ground in defeat, and all he had to protect himself with was the length of his arm.


	3. My One and Only

Chapter Two: My One and Only…

I'm going to enjoy watching you die, Mr. Anderson…

Simultaneously, the gatekeepers fired their weapons, unloading entire clips into the hazy mists. A multitude of bullets rained through the air, racing straight towards their blue-eyed target. Captivated by the sight of such heavy artillery, the dark-haired male stood frozen in place. His arm, still stretched out in front of him, seemed to welcome the hasty shooting spree. Surprisingly enough, the fact that he could be blown to bits in a matter of seconds didn't even faze him. Not one bit. His gaze shifted from one suited program to another, examining his attacker's faces, their stances, and the awkwardly serene fashion in which they all appeared to move together as a single unit of destruction. 

/It--It's like they're a mass of identical twins--/ the blue-eyed male observed, noting the extreme similarities between one revolver-wielding attacker and another. _/What, do these guys all shop at the same store or something? What's with the tidy uniforms, slicked back hair, those little wires going from their necks to their ears--/_

Abruptly, a wild vision flashed inside his head, blacking out his vision in temporary blindness. A man, just like the ones firing at him now, was smiling at him--no, he was _grinning_ at him--in a deranged fashion. Seto was staring into the barrel of his attacker's automatic weapon, almost as if he were casually waiting for the bullet to come flying from the metallic mouth and hit him--

/I wanted to die then. / recalled Kaiba, becoming absorbed in the disturbing recollection. _/Death. Nothing sounded more alluring to me then, especially after watching someone I cared about being gunned down in the street--/_

All at once, he was overwhelmed with a multitude of feelings and mental images, nerve-wrecking degrees of sensory perception that made every muscle in his body tense. Staggering a pace backwards, he attempted to pull oxygen into his lungs, but found the task to be entirely too tremendous to achieve. Instead, he stared off into the oblivion of glittering emerald columns, recalling more than he ever desired to in a matter of seconds.

/They killed him! / his memory flared wildly, overriding his senses with gruesome details that he could have done without. _/Goddamn them, they _murdered _my partner! /_

Trembling hands grasped his silky tresses, digging their blunt nails into his head. This was too much; all to damned much to take…

/Blood, oh, gods, there's so much blood! Help him, someone! Don't let him turn into fresh road kill! /

Dropping to his knees, the brown-haired boy felt as if the bottom of his sanity just gave out. He saw it, he saw it all…and he couldn't do a thing to save his fallen comrade. Not one damned thing. 

/Don't shoot him! It's not his fault that he's here! He shouldn't have to pay for my illiterate mistake! /

Almost as if it were happening all over again, he envisioned his cohort reaching out to him, desperately yearning for the chance to lock limbs with his. Ruby eyes, sparkling with unmentionable sorrow, gazed at the CEO in such a terrible way that he felt as if the barrage of artillery had struck his heart instead of his colleague's. Instantaneously, the sapphire-eyed teen let the ringing receiver he held in his hand fall, jeopardizing his own life just to catch his dying ally. 

/I had a chance to save myself, but I didn't. I had to stay. I had to stay to be with him. /

Wrapping his arms around the newly deceased teammate, Seto embraced the elegant body in his grip. He became the shelter for the noble creature in his arms, the beautiful individual that had forfeited their existence for him. Deep crimson washed the streets in the sickening fluid, draping the asphalt in its dark red splendor. Completely surrounded by a cluster of programmed suits, the tall teen dismissed the circle of threats closing in on him as he stroked the contours of his friend's face. 

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/No, it's not fair; it's just not fair! /

Twirling a lock of the dead individual's bangs, Kaiba didn't even notice as the walls of his demise caved in. All he gave a damn about was the person he had up against his chest, his assistant, the graceful male who lay before him like a perfect porcelain doll. 

"You were supposed to fly with me!" the executive finally choked, watching as a splotch of water puddled on his friend's visage. "You told me we were in this together! You _promised_ me that we'd grow wings together!"

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/I was alone then. He left me there…my own soul mate left me there to fight by myself--/

His eyes jerked open to literally twice their normal size when they realized what they had discovered.

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/Ryou--he--he's not _my lover. I don't know why I'm with him in this lifetime, but he's not the one for me. The _other _one is--the one who sacrificed himself for me so long ago. _That _is my lover, my best friend, my largest joy, and the bringer of my deepest levels of pain. But it just doesn't make sense to me! /_ he told himself over and over again, losing control of his mind. _/How can my greatest rival, someone who I've loathed and hated for years, be my one and only? /_

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End file.
